The Ways of War
by Secret Life of Writing
Summary: An in depth look of when Clem plays cards with Marlon, Louis, and Violet. Clem gives more detail with her answers. Sorry description sucks.


**Hey guys!**

 **Sorry I had to re-post this story, but the stupid reviews that were getting re-posted were driving me nuts. I like legit reviews, like the two I got. Not people using it for there stupid games or whatever. So again sorry about this.**

 **Just wanted to say before hand that there are spoilers if you haven't played season 4 episode 1 yet. Other than that enjoy!**

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"Violet! It's time!" Marlon called her over, moving the empty bowls out of the way. "What's the game tonight, Lou?"

"War." Louis replied, shuffling the cards in his hand. "The oldest game around. Played by man and beast alike. The only game there is."

"Sounds fun. How do we play?" Clementine asked.

"Its easy." Violet replied, explaining the rules. "Everyone gets a stack of cards, everyone flips one over. Highest card wins."

"And the winner gets to ask Clem a question." Louis cut in.

Clem gave him a displeased look.

"What? I wanna get to know you. We all do."

Violet and Marlon nodded in agreement.

"And what if I win?" Clementine replied.

"Then you get to ask us one." Louis replied. "It's only fair."

"Wait, what about AJ?" Clem asked concerned, looking to her side for the little boy.

"What about him?" Marlon asked. "Looks like he's made a friend." He gestured to the little boy seated at the other table.

Clem turned around to look. AJ was currently intrigued in the drawing that Tenn was creating.

"C'mon, you can take your eyes off him for one card game. I'll bet you could both use a break from one another." Marlon said as Louis passed out the cards.

Clem agreed with Marlon's statement. "Yeah, maybe. This is his first time around anyone his own age. Sometimes he acts more like an adult than a kid."

"He's not the only one." Marlon claimed. "Whens the last time you had some fun?"

Clem sighed. "There hasn't been anytime for fun in a long time."

Marlon smiled. "Well, now's your chance. Louis? If you would?"

Louis flipped his card over first and everyone followed suit. Clem looked to everyone's cards.

Violet had won with the Jack of hearts. "Way to go me."

Clem looked to her, wondering what kind of question she wanted to know.

Violet nodded towards the little boy seated at the other table. "So about AJ..." Everyone looked to her. "Where are AJ's parents. You two don't really look relater so...?"

Clem sighed at the terrible memory. "They were nice people. His dad was killed by some asshole..."

"And his mom?"

"She didn't make it." Clem said. "After giving birth...she just...lost to much blood. Then we were attacked by a group of Russians." She stared Violet in the eyes. "I saved AJ's life."

The teens all looked to each other before flipping over their next card.

Clem stared at everyone's cards again noticing she had the highest. "Hey, I win!"

"Hey, you do. So what do you wanna know?" Asked Louis.

"You guys meet anyone famous out there?"

"No." Violet sourly answered.

"Too bad. You'd figure a movie star or something would show up somewhere." Louis replied.

"I met a guy who used to be a baseball player. Like, for money. His name was Javier...Javier Garcia."

Marlon chuckled. "No shit, huh. I used to see him on TV."

"Cool, I used to love baseball. Was he any good at it?" Louis asked.

"Dunno, we never got to play. He was good with a bat though." Clem remembered all the times Javi had smashed open a walkers head with a bat before. "Much better than me."

"Baseball sucks." Violet said with negativity.

"You suck!" Louis countered.

"Not as much as baseball."

Clem shook her head and flipped over her next card.

Louis had the highest card. "Booyah!"

Clementine looked to him. Louis seemed hesitant to ask. His facial expression had changed.

"C'mon spit it out!" Violet demanded.

"So uh...ever, uh...ever have a boyfriend?" Louis shyly asked.

Clem was taken aback a bit. She wasn't expecting that.

"Oh my god!" Violet slammed her fist on the table. While Marlon had an amused look on his face.

"What? It happens." Louis tried to justify his actions. "Perfectly valid question."

"You can ask me if I've ever had a girlfriend." He told Clem. "I haven't, by the way."

"Oh, I'm sure she's real surprised about that one." Violet joked.

"Never." Clem replied flatly.

"Not even once?" He clarified.

"Never." She said sternly and proceeded to flip her next card.

Louis had a disappointing look on his face.

They all flipped with Marlon having the highest. "Ha, I win. So, Clem..." He said kind of creepily. "You can't of been alone this entire time. Who used to take care of you? Family? Anyone?"

She hesitated to answer. "Lee...His name was Lee. He was the first person who taught me about survival."

"What'd he teach you?" Marlon asked.

"Lots of stuff." She replied, wanting to get the answer over with.

"Like what"

Everyone leaned in closer wanting to hear.

"How to shoot a gun."

"Useful stuff."

Clem smiled a bit. "Yeah, I taught AJ the same way, too."

Then her smile faded. "He once told me, part of growing up is doing what's best for the people you care about...even if sometimes...that means hurting someone else." She looked to Marlon. "I told him that I didn't want to hurt anyone. He said it wasn't that easy. And he was right."

She paused for a minute before adding. "The last thing he taught me...was...how to say goodbye."

Marlon gave her a sympathetic look as he flipped his next card, kind of regretting he had asked.

Clem's smile returned when she saw that she once again had the highest card. "I win again."

"You do indeed." Louis replied. "Ask away."

"Worst injury you've ever witnessed?" She asked.

"I once saw a walker get hit in the head so hard both his eyeballs flew out." Violet smiled, pleased with her answer. "Pretty cool."

"I once saw someone have their intestines pulled all the way out. Like, ALL the way." Louis demonstrated the motion with his hands. "It goes on for a while. We got a lot of guts."

"I once saw this guy get his face beaten in with a crowbar. Badly." Clem replied, remembering how Kenny had beaten Carver's face into nothing. "There wasn't even any skin left."

"Ouch!" Said Louis.

"He deserved it." Said Clem. "Same asshole who killed AJ's father and took our whole group as prisoners."

"Damn." Said Marlon.

"Yeah, not a good experience. We had to cover ourselves in walker guts and escape through a herd." Clem's expression saddened. "We lost a lot of people that day." She turned to look at AJ. "But it was also the day AJ was born. We named him after his father...Alvin."

Everyone flipped their cards over. Violet with the queen of hearts. "Victory Violet."

"Here's something I love to ask when I'm in groups." She cleared her throat. "Out of the four of us, who do think is gonna die first?"

"That is fucked up." Louis replied.

"Oh I know." She said with a laugh.

"Any one of you, but certainly not me." Clem said with a straight face.

"So sure."

"Made it this far."

"So have we." Violet commented, feeling offended.

Everyone flipped with Louis winning. "I am the greatest card player of all time."

Clem rolled her eyes. "You don't even have to have any skill to play this game."

"Still..."

"Just ask your damn question." Violet commanded losing her patience.

"Ever..." He started. "Actually, never mind."

"What? Ask it." Clem demanded.

Louis shook his head. "It's not a fun question."

"Ask."

"Ever had to kill someone you loved?"

Clementines eyes widened and she looked away.

"Dude!" Marlon scolded.

"Hey, she wanted me to ask."

Clementine thought about what she wanted to say. She turned back and replied. "Lee...I had to shot Lee. It was the same day I found out my parents were dead."

They all gave her sympathetic looks. "That...sounds like a rough day." Said Louis.

"Huh Yeah..." She looked to Louis. "Worst day of my life."

She paused before adding. "Still...it never seems to get any easier."

Clem looked down at the table, then back to the teens in front of her. "I hate that I've lost so many people...but it's made me stronger. After Lee I learned to take care of my self."

She rolled up her sleeve to reveal the scar from the dog bite. "You have to be strong. I had to stitch my own arm up, while being locked in a shed. Then fought a walker afterwards."

Marlon's eyes widened. "No shit."

Clem nodded. "It's never easy...but I don't really know how it's supposed to be. I'm alone. Everyone I know is gone. Besides AJ...It's just me now."

She looked to each of them one by one letting her words sink in. "You guys have lived inside this school for a long time...and I know you've all lost people, but...nothing like what we've been through."

Clem continued on. "All the things that I've done...that I've seen...It hasn't been easy. Sometimes you have to do bad things if you want to survive. I try not to have any regrets...and I know it's hard...for everyone. But hopefully things will get better."

Clementine looked back down at the table, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze. She fought the urge to cry. Not believing she could sit through any more of this she got up and excused herself. "I think I'm done playing for tonight." She stood up and went to get AJ.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." Stated Marlon. He felt sorry for the girl. They all did.

He gave a disapproving look to Louis. "What? You wanted me to ask."

Marlon rolled his eyes before standing up and running after Clem to apologize for Louis's actions.

Violet and Louis gave each other saddened looks. Then Violet spoke up. "I guess those are just the ways of war."

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 **Well hope you guys liked it.**

 **So not too much different from the actual game, but I thought it would be nice to add a little more detail in Clem's back story. Anyway let me know what you guys think. Don't forget to leave a review or PM me.**

 **Secret life of Writing Out!**


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